Burgess Community Development
the construction industry, which is short of trained talent, especially from the minority community but is now looking on how to entice and welcome those who have long been discouraged to join and who two generations ago – their grandparents were trying to leave the construction industry behind for the future generations to have “professional” careers. The construction industry and those who have tried to discard it, has realized the importance of diversity. I brag that women average 96 cents for every dollar that a man makes – trust I always try to get that 4 cents. Do we have those same DEI challenges of every industry, of course we do. What I do know is that the best and most significant opportunities allowed our firm were provided by those who did not look like me or have the same lens of experience. That is something to be said about an industry who starting with a “check a box” but now realized that different perspectives make a project succeed. It’s good to break up packages so small contractors can bid, it works to recruit in areas of justice involved, veterans and As a business owner you have to understand your business and the market but the business community is different for minority owned and woman owned business owners. I am not going to debate the point. I will say that we are not a marginalized population. As a Christian and raised by very confident and strong Black family, I
By DENISE BURGESS
My name is Denise Burgess, I am CEO of an African American female owned second generation construction firm located in Denver, Colorado. That sentence in itself tells a story of hope, opportunity, challenge and triumph. Burgess Services has been a part of the fabric of this Denver and Colorado community for the last 50 years, starting with my Father, Clyde, having a dream of being an entrepreneur and a strong enough partner in my Mother, Lucille, to make it her dream too. They started a company named Burgess Heating and Air Conditioning serving the residential communities of Aurora and North Denver starting with an idea and three war veteran pension, which has grown into Burgess Services, a construction management firm that has been a part of teams who have managed to build over $1 Billion in major public projects in Colorado and throughout the United States. The construction industry has definitely changed in those 50 years and Burgess has survived recessions, booms, minority programs, no minority programs, systemic barriers along with historic opportunities. As the industry changed, so did we and with every change – we continue to build and be a part of the American landscape. The challenges of survival are constant within
41 The Acumen
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